From colonial regulations to constitutional provisions: Politics of internal borderlands in Northeast India
Author(s): Hirokjeet Roy
Abstract: Northeast India’s borderland identities have been profoundly shaped by colonial boundary-making practices whose legacies persist in contemporary ethnonationalist movements. This article critically examines how instruments such as the Inner Line Regulation and the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution established internal borderlands that continue to underpin demands for autonomy and ethnic exclusivity. Tracing the trajectory from these colonial interventions to present-day struggles in Assam and Nagaland, the article demonstrates how the ideal of a “borderless world” is undermined by enduring socio-political realities and persistent ethnic assertions. It argues that internal borders function not merely as geographic lines but as sites of identity politics and socio-economic contestation, ultimately challenging the coherence of India’s national narrative. By unveiling the ongoing impact of historical boundary-making on governance and ethnic relations, this article offers critical insights into the dynamics of territorial disputes and inter-community tensions in a region marked by remarkable cultural heterogeneity.
Hirokjeet Roy. From colonial regulations to constitutional provisions: Politics of internal borderlands in Northeast India. Int J Political Sci Governance 2019;1(1):54-58. DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2019.v1.i1a.635
